Spring Semester Week 8 Seminar Recap & Notes

REMINDERS FOR SPRING SEMESTER:
-Students will be leading rhetoric discussions.  I will email out ahead of time when you child will lead so they can prepare **THIS WILL START IN WEEK 5
***LIZZY WILL LEAD DISCUSSION IN WEEK 9
-Students will begin to track their own points (with your supervision).  They will need to keep a detailed "log" and turn that in to me at the end of the year (wk 14) for the awards.
-Students will also "teach" LTW cannons as we begin review

Here's the recap  (PLEASE SEE THE GUIDE FOR HOMEWORK DUE FOR SPRING SEMINAR - WEEK 9 )
   
Logic/Math
Just a few math terms today.

Each week we will continue to review previous week's concepts through dialectic discussion with the problems the students bring in.  In each problem we work we will ask the same questions (based on the common topics) - see previous blog for detail on questions.  The students are beginning to lead the discussions.  
Again,  we focused on "showing our work" - talking about "math sentences" and each individual step in solving/evaluating a problem.  We are also learning how to "show our work".

We played the N2K game individually & in teams.   We'll play this each week.

Possible quiz on math laws next week!

POINTS: Bring in a math problem from their homework to explain to the class -  5 points.

Be sure the students bring in the completed lessons you assign to class (even if they are not doing Saxon).

**Students should bring in a problem from their math lesson to share (can be one they struggled with; one they think will stump the class or anything they found interesting & would like to share & explain)  This will help them be rhetorical!!

Grammar/Latin
We continued with verbs today.  We learned that like in English, our verbs must agree with our subject in person & number. We have a "rule" in the purple book that will go in the rules section of our notebook.  We completed 1 in each of the exercises for this week.  (110-114). No new grammar rules-just continue to memorize 159-162.   No new vocab - review all previous.

We played racing games to review verb endings & charades to review vocab!

POINTS: Translate next "section" of The Giving Tree - 5 pts

****It is important that the students parse/label each sentence so that they can clearly identify the parts of speech in order to translate it properly.   I will be awarding candy for those who do!!! :)

Suggestions for parents @ home:  Make sure you and your student preview the next week's lesson as stated in the guide so that they are prepared to discuss it in class. Drill student on vocabulary & grammar rules.  Check daily assignments (or have students check).  Continue to have students focus on memorizing endings for the declensions - sing the songs & work those charts, as well as memorize vocab & rules.  It's a good idea to write the endings out - like copying mastery charts in Essentials.

Research 

Today was our quiz on the heart.  I'll return those next week.  We drew the ear from memory, traded w/ a neighbor & graded.  I introduced the skin, we went over the definitions and labeled our drawing together in class (I also handed out a diagram that showed the correct labels - remember answer key in Biology book had a few items mislabeled).  I modeled & gave suggestions on how to draw the system.  THEY NEED TO DRAW IT LARGE ENOUGH TO SEE ALL THE DETAIL.  We referred back to our Foundations art - OILS in breaking down the drawing into circles, straight lines, dotes, angles & curved lines.

At home, students will need to define the new terms, and draw, draw, draw.  They need to be drawing the system every day - more than once a day and labeling it.  After the first few days of drawing, they need to "test" by drawing & labeling it from memory.   I showed them samples of what their "test" in 2 weeks should look like.  In addition to drawing the , students will need to continue to draw the ear in preparation for the quiz next week.  Try drawing from memory only as if testing to see what's missing.  Quiz on ear will be next week.

STUDENTS SHOULD BRING IN THEIR DRAWINGS TO CLASS.

POINT REWARD:  How many lbs of dead skin cells do we shed every year? - 5 points
What is (& scientific name for (1) tree bark skin disorder; fish odor syndrome; blue man syndrome & werewolf  syndrome? - 10 points

Suggestions for parents @ home:  Check students drawings daily.  "Test" by having them draw from memory several times, ensuring they have all elements & it is correctly labeled. 

Expo/Comp

Today using student ANI's, we reviewed sorting & discussed how to make those "labels" that will serve as the main proofs.  We reviewed amplification & talked about how to make our amplification more "eloquent" by not using "it matters to"…replacing it with something like "this affects.." or "is important to".

At home the students should sort their ANI, Lsn 3 Arrangement A guide to exordium; Lsn 4 Arrangement guide to amplification; Lsn 4 Arrangement B basic persuasive essay w/ amplification; then create outline from ANI using Lsn 4 Arrangement template basic persuasive essay w/ amplification.  I stressed to the students to ask "why" and/or  "so what" after creating their outline to be sure they've answered those questions.  Bring outlines & all worksheets to class next week.

Suggestions for parents @ home:   Assist/review sorted ANI charts.  Review all worksheets as well as outline.  Be sure to help them assess whether they have a "main proof" with 3 separate sub-proofs.

Debate/Geography

I introduced the next section of Africa & the students drew the continent & areas/features for this week as well as previous learned areas.  Thank you for having the maps & breakdown in their folders!!!  We will continue to add new areas according the the "breakdown" each week.  

We played a game to review previous countries, capitals & even features.  Geo terms quiz next week (19-20).

Students should bring in maps that they've drawn.  They'll show the class their best map.  

DRAW FOR POINTS!!!  Students will earn 5 points for each map drawn each week (after they draw 8 which would be 2 per day for 4 days)  *****20 Points for each world map with everything they've learned so far labeled on the map (it doesn't have to all be from memory)

****Remember that at the end of the year we will be drawing the world - states, countries features - everything from memory.  Students need to continue to draw areas they've been tested on.   (They can draw on the large laminated maps I gave them at the beginning of the year).  The more they draw the better they'll get - the more they will be able to remember.

Suggestions for parents @ home:  Drill student on provinces & capitals as well as geography terms.  Check daily drawings for accuracy & labeling.  Be sure students continue to draw previous geographic areas - adding them to new areas.  Continue to drill previous states & capitals and/or countries & capitals (it is suggested that they make flashcards for review).

Rhetoric

Anna lead our Rhetoric discussion this week.   We read through the DCYB chapters & she came up with questions from the chapters for students (in teams) to answer.  She also had a very interesting game to review catechism questions.  If they students didn't answer correctly, they had to put on some "costume" clothes.  Check out the attached pictures….think they need to study those catechism's more???

Suggestions for parents @ home:  Discuss chapter 27-29 in DCYB.  Check that student is answering questions for DCYB.  Drill all catechism questions (remember they must be able to state word for word).